Once you begin to see the change, it’s easier to envision yourself BEing the change. I’m not talking about random visualization - I’m talking about allowing yourself to become acquainted with the thought that change IS possible. Perception is everything and if you don’t address how you PERCEIVE yourself you’ll never let yourself get started.

Understanding where you currently are can make getting where you want to be clearer AND faster.

We learn, create and grow in stages and one stage will usually never come before the other. In the rare cases that you skip a stage, you risk missing out on a critical piece of development, instruction or preparation for the next stage you find yourself in. Never take any lesson for granted…

For perspective: When I depend on my GPS to get me somewhere, I always begin by putting in my current location. It has to take stock of all the data and info surrounding where I am, so I can efficiently get to where I need to be and quickly.

Same applies with your image, you have to see where you are so you can move forward. Thing is, some of us have a hard time being objective and giving ourselves constructive criticism. Basically what I am saying is, you struggle to see where you can improve on yo own. So, the best thing to do is to reach out to a professional aka a GPS (Guide to Personal Style & or Branding) to help you make those shifts and get the results you want personally and professionally. Don’t gamble with your future, time and money trying to do everything by yourself when you can easily get help.

Transformation isn’t a future event, it’s a present day activity.

— Jillian Michaels

3. Show up… or people will make it their business not to come, ever.

Even if you are a beginner and have “nothing” to offer…(which is absolutely not true and I can prove it but I digress. In fact, I did already - check out the video breakdown in the registration below to find out morewink wink)

If you don’t make it your business to show up now, even for people to just watch your journey unfold, when you decide to really be present, no one will want to or be used to coming around. What's worse? Those that waited will have left.

You can be talented, gifted and more yet nothing makes up for not showing up.

Perfect example? Lauryn Hill - I’ve been a fan of her work for years as many people still are however even with all of her fame, accolades and awards, her reputation - worse yet her image - has been tarnished because she has become known for showing up late or worse, not at all. Transformation your image has everything to do with deciding to be present in a way thatbrings out the best in your community as well as you.

Your growing community wants to see you do well from start to finish so show them start to finish. The process of transformation is about finding your defaults and defeating them. All so you are polished, what you have to offer is packaged beautifully and you are ready to present yourself at your best. That wayyou are ready when all the opportunities you've wanted come to around begin to.

There’s much that you need to begin building a solid brand & it begins with vision.Vision gives your immediate sight perspective. Perspective helps you adjust & adapt.Only when you have perspective can you begin to move with precision.

A great brand evolves from building a a good reputation.

— Abiodun A. Abiodun

Start with Why: Perception, Purpose & Solving problems

Developing vision is the most efficient way to begin building a unique brand. It helps you to address what we see, feel and how we want to make other feel with what we create & serve them with.

Thing is our perception of what is needed from our brand can be distorted when compared to reality.

This is where the purpose for your brand can help adjust your perceptions. When you are clear on what you want your brand to do (Influence, Teach, Inspire or Redefine the Rules) it is easier to keep your purpose & perception of things in alignment. That alignment helps you to keep your community in focus so you can serve them well & solve their problems for them.

It’s real easy to get caught up focusing on the aesthetics side of building your brand…Colors, designs, logos - that’s all the shiny stuff that distracts us. Makes us feel like we’re accomplishing something lol. If you want to stay focused as a brand and not fold after spending all your money on fancy business cards, you need to consider the elements of a brand you may not realize you have missed.

So instead of color schemes think of your brand principles you want to run on.

The ideals you have on quality & service, your value ladder, production standards and etc. For your brand to shine like a uniquely cut diamond, you have to pull all of these elements together seamlessly. No valuable diamond is ever graded without being measured up against a standard. Color, carat, cut & clarity... the best stones have all 4 elements addressed & command the most value. So do the best brands…

3. Intention & Impact: It’s all related to what you do (& how you do it)

Intention & Impact are the 2 things that directly affect your placement & position in your industry. Yes everyone is everywhere (Hello Saturation my old friend…) and yet people are STILL making a unique impact as brands and making it their business to speak up & stand out.

They both affect you depending on your current stage of building.

Intention combined with real impact are what will help you to build structure as a brand as well as solid strategy. They also shift your precision when targeting, marketing or trying to communicatewith your people. Setting an intention is great yet it’s the impact you make with consistency, quality and structure that matters most to the people you want to help.

No matter what stage you’re at focus on keeping your reputation as a brand in tact.

To learn more about my signature methods for building your brand as unique as your thumbprint, join me for my next live masterclass session! Click here and sign up today. See you there!

Many think that confidence is something you have or don’t.You’ll hear things like, “Fake it til you make it” or “You just have to do it…”

It’s a good thing I’m here to set the record straight.

CONFIDENCE IS A MUSCLE THAT ONLY ACTION CAN BUILD.

— Candace Sheppard

In my experience working with all types of creatives, confidence is best described as a muscle. Why a muscle? because you only build it by taking consistent action. The kind that makes you uncomfortable.

Trusting yourself in any situation, especially new ones, takes practice.

Below are 3 distinct ways to help you shift to from courage to confidence:

1. Building your Self Awareness & ClarityGetting crystal clear about how you sparkle, shine & show up. In order to “shine”, you have to be comfortable speaking up about who you are, who you’re not AND what you’re capable of. Bringing all of who of you are to the table, unapologetically.

Clarity let’s you speak & stand for what you’re sure of about yourself; without hesitation. Not speaking up or hesitation is a sign of lack of clarity and needing to be rooted & grounded. Once you own you who you are, no one else ever can.Check out the video below to understand more about how this information & insight can work against you OR for you…

2. Learning & then Testing what you Invested inWhen we’re learning it’s easy to feel “accomplished” because we took some form of action. Yes you took action, a small comfortable one and that makes you feel like you’ve done something.

Remember though, real confidence is built by taking uncomfortable action. The uncomfortable action is always testing what you invested in. You don’t know if you’ve truly learned something until you’re tested. If you’ve ever failed a test or a very important class, you get crystal clear on how well you “know” what you set out to learn.

Many are terrified to test anything because they don’t want to fail or lose.That is where the magic of building confidence is missed. Confidence is the willingness to try, regardless of the outcome. If you avoid testing what you’re doing, you’ll never accomplish what you long to.

3. Defeat your defaults… aka your need to always be safe.

The greatest risk you can take is to focus on doing everything you can to stay safe.We naturally tend to default to what we’ve always done when it’s time to move to a new level.

Any level of discomfort or fear we are hard wired to avoid or run from.Never give in to it! There is no growth of progress in a place of comfort or safety.

So to defeat your defaults and make progress, you need self awareness. It’s SO important. If you know you’re going to have to face a difficult task and you need accountability, guidance or any set of circumstances to help you move, you can set yourself up ahead of time to win. Preparation needs to become the name of your game so you’re mentally equipped to get the physical win.

Sometimes you’ll be able to move through your blocks with ease, others you’ll need a model to help support you. Much like a trusted parent or well designed “training” wheels made to support you in your independent learning. Seek to learn about what keeps you from moving forward and then do the work to defeat it. Make it your business to beat yourself at your own game. Your confidence will skyrocket!

To learn more about building solid confidence as a creative, business owner, influencer or brand, join me for my next live masterclass! Click here and sign up today. See you there!

It's simple. If you want to save yourself from making some crazy (& time consuming) mistakes listen in and then take action.

This month makes 12 years of me being an entrepreneur. I've established my name and the quality of my craft like never before and only wish to move to the next level. 2017 is the year to elevate and rise up I will. How about you?

It's easy to keep plugging in what you've always done but staying in that place leaves you uneasy. You're left feeling restless and bored at the same time. Doing the same thing, getting the same results. Frustrated because you know you have something worthwhile to contribute and sad because you don't know how to build a platform for yourself to share.

Business is constantly changing because we constantly change. If you're not prepared to keep up in this marathon you're going to be in a great deal of pain and frustration. All because you're working hard & not seeing progress. Business is all about taking risks and betting on the odds. Risks are scary, what we're hard wired to avoid, with good reason! The thing is, you can learn from those whom have taken those risks and made the mistakes. I've done it, so you don't have to...

You can learn how to take calculated risks and to place the kind of bets that produce. You don't have to bet on others, you get to bet on yourself. The problem is why would you bet on yourself if you're not clear on who you are, what you want and how to go forward...?

You will be able to take those risks and see results when you commit to enhancing your performance with clarity & accountability.

If you're ready to get clear, take action and do the work to bolster your personal clarity and professional confidence, click the let's get started link below. We'll begin by establishing what is your next best step!

I'm quick to tell anyone that if they really want to get to "know" themselves, to start a business. lol. It will quickly show you that you're not as self aware as you think...

It says more about you than you ever could say about yourself... with far fewer words and a LOT more action. Business is a reflection of where you are personally.

Finding it difficult to charge what you know you're worth or well beyond that? That's a reflection of your self esteem being low and in need of some work to improve. Avoiding dealing with your business finances? You have difficulty receiving... Letting your clients set prices and overrun your time? Yup. Says a lot too. I could go on and on but I won't. You get the picture.

Consider where you are at this point in your business and what you'd like to reflect down the line. When you arrive at what you want to change - adopt it for yourself personally, only then will it permeate your business and "go to work" for you.

Fastest way to do this? Begin by investing in Self Care and finding someone, like-minded, to keep you accountable. Accountability takes your progress and results to a new level. However, if you're ready to make lasting & consistent change - the kind that inspires others through transformation - you need a trainer. A trainer is not going to only help you decide what to do but is going to map out the plan to accomplish it and help you develop good form as you "exercise" new muscle. The muscles I work, are the most powerful. Those in your mind...

The truth is that you need both... just not at the same time. One naturally hinges on the substance of the other. How do you become more clear and confident? You take action.

The real question is where do you need to begin? Clarity. Without clarity there is no confidence - just the constant search for validation & acceptance from person to person, in relationships, from job to job. Don't believe me? Let's chat then...

Think of the times you've taken on a position at a new job. There's always some level of nerves or apprehension - especially if you're under review for your first 90 days. You show up not knowing what to expect and even though they train you, the moments when you're left alone leave you feeling out of place.

Let's fast forward now and consider when you've been on the job for a year. You've developed relationships with co workers, have leveled up to a new position and have even trained a few other employees to do what you once did.

That's the difference experience makes. The clearer you become on what's expected of you and what you need to do, the easier it is to transition to confidence. There's much less fear of messing up.

It's hard for us to step out and try something new when the old feels comfortable.

That's where the magic is though... not in being comfortable or uncomfortable. It's in taking a chance and stepping out regardless of what you feel. There is where you learn what you're capable of and what you can push yourself through. That's the stuff that clarity is made of and what builds your confidence.

It's in the "experience" that we become more and more comfortable with what once seemed impossible. You want results? Take action like you haven't done before so you can get clear. The more action you take, the more you learn about yourself, the more clear you will become. Freeing you to take action again...

This is what will make you confident in all you do personally & professionally! Lastly, it will get you results like you've never had before. Your goal should be to remain committed to enhancing your performance - not the results. You stay committed, you'll get the results you've been longing for.

Ready to step into taking action and enhancing your performance like never before? I'm here to help you determine your next step. Click here to find out what that next step is!

No special words, colors or patterns are necessary. All you need to begin with is you.

Yes. All you need to begin with is you. Let's chat about why...

Everything that's well done is intentional. There must be form AND function.

Form & Function is in everything. Nothing we love or would consider great is created until the creator has decided what form they want it to take and what function it's going to serve. A great example? The iPhone. Need I say more?

The same applies to you and your style. Thoughtfulness is important when you present yourself. Great design translates what you want to say through the clothing you wear. The key is understanding what you want to say before you attempt to say it.

You should never begin with what others think or pressure you to do with clothing. You need to be clear about who you are, what you want and then you can dress accordingly. Form is important because certain shapes will make you appear softer or more assertive and function is too cause what's the point of trying to be "summer ready " in the dead of winter. Exactly. lol.

3 keys to making a statement without saying a word:

1. Consider who you are, what you want and who you are attempting to connect with. If it's in an interview - consider the culture surrounding the place you want to work at. Is it blue collar? Fashion savvy? Corporate? Don't stop there. Find out what's acceptable and then build. If it's corporate try a sophisticated color for a suit - like grey instead of everyone's basic black. If it's fashion savvy try a beautifully fitted suit in a cranberry or burgundy shade. You get me ;)

2. Think about what you want to say about yourself. I come into a room and draw attention to myself without trying - I stand at almost 5'10". That's a whole lotta woman. lol. So I'm not going to come in dripping in diamonds, covered in magenta fur with rose petals falling behind me. No shade, that's just me. If you want that go for it - it's YOUR form and manner of function. The important thing is to be sure of the message you're trying to get across - then you can find the clothing to say it.

3. By far the most important key is understanding that how you dress is not the only way to make a statement. Confidence is something you should wear as well. It doesn't come from clothing, it comes from knowing the more important message you're looking to spread. Your style should reflect the statements you want to make with your words & vice versa. Make your mark.